The Le Cuvier Principals and Staff

 

John Munch, co-owner, wine herd/winemaker, & Elliptical Pontificator

Mary Fox, co-owner & president, CFO, & Omnipotent Organizer

Robin Graham,  assistant winemaker/Systems Sage

Tiani Bajema, wine club manager/food pairing wizard

Doug Bates, administrator & all-around go-fer

Diane Flores-Duffy, promotion & sales

Dana Matteson, events & sales

Mo Colwell, sales & marketing

John Munch. The origins of Le Cuvier's winemaker & co-owner harken to another land & time. While out crabbing, the Chupete Indians of Costa Rica found Munch, a toothless toddler, amongst mosquitoes & mangrove roots in the littoral swamps of the Caribbean coast. The particulars of his birth & lineage remain unclear. In his formative years, it is said, Munch was taken from the Chupete tribe by a missionary dragline operator & his wife, & variously educated in secular & missionary schools throughout Central America. He ultimately completed his education in California, where he almost acquired a post-graduate degree in early West-Saxon poetry.

Munch has gained a fine reputation as founder & winemaker of several failed winery operations in the Paso Robles area, & with partner Mary Fox, he now persists in running Le Cuvier winery. As Wine Herd, Munch sees his role as shepherd to the "feral beasties" that accompany the finest fruit from the finest vineyard into the winery, allowing grapes to interact and ferment in their own natural state, free of intervention from such effete constructs as commercial strains of yeast. Providing the right musical sound track to enhance this ideal environment appears to be his only useful contribution to the winemaking process.

 

 Mary Fox, Le Cuvier co-owner/president, & Doctor of Organizational Psychology, was researching the possibility of investing in vineyard property on California’s Central Coast in 2000 when she serendipitously engaged Munch as consultant for her project. She soon became entrapped by the glamour & deeply refined complexity of the Le Cuvier operation, & shortly thereafter joined Munch as an equal partner in the winery. In addition to her considerable professional skills, Dr. Fox also brought much needed cash to the partnership. She appears to have found a life project in her new association, where she now applies all her energies in an attempt to create organizational order.

Robin Graham, assistant winemaker, joined the Le Cuvier operation in mid-2009 after a whirlwind education in viticulture & enology at Washington State University. He grew up in a small town north of Seattle & claims to have always had an interest in agriculture & all things gastronomical, thus making him eminently qualified for work at Le Cuvier. He was particularly drawn to the unique properties of grapes grown in Paso Robles, as well as John Munch's distinctive winemaking style. Robin's winemaking knowledge is enhanced by a keen appreciation for many things digital, so we use him to tend to the winery's various computer issues. When he's not tending to wine or wires, he can be seen cavorting with his twin, who bears an uncanny resemblance to an iPhone.

Tiani Bajema, wine club manager, joined the Le Cuvier staff in 2001, thus she knows where the skeletons are buried. She left us for a short time to start a family, but she couldn't stay away. Today, Tiani is the Mistress of Multi-tasking, & she is the primary contact for Elliptical Society members who have questions about their shipments or membership information. She also takes great pride in preparing the exquisite hors d’oeuvres that guests enjoy on our tasting weekends. When she is not holding our collective hands at Le Cuvier, she dotes lovingly on her husband and two small children.

Doug Bates, office administrator, first began volunteering for Le Cuvier events in 2006, & as he says, “fell in love with the circus that is Le Cuvier.” In 2008, weary of his managerial life in the corporate retail world, & driven by his love for wine, Doug set out to work in the wine industry, where lo & behold, John & Mary had a position that suited his sales & managerial talents. If anything is to be coordinated at Le Cuvier, Doug coordinates it. He pushes piles of paper & arranges lots of numbers on colorful spreadsheets, but loves doing so if it means sharing Le Cuvier with the world. He also occasionally likes to rabble rouse, but he goes about it very politely & always with a smile.

Diane Flores-Duffy, sales & promotion, joined the staff back in 2004 as wine club administrator, but efficiently worked herself out of a job when the Elliptical Society first filled up. She never really disappeared, though, volunteering for events & shamelessly promoting Le Cuvier while pursuing other opportunities in the wine world. In late 2009, John & Mary realized a need for more proselytizing, & knew Diane’s previous life as a journalist, coupled with her passion for wine & words, would be a good match. In addition to putting together Web site content, newsletters & other promotional material, Diane pours at the winery & sings the praises of all things Elliptical to whomever will listen.

 

Dana Matteson, events & sales, joined us in November 2010 to coordinate events, assist in sales, manage the transition to our new winery & help plan future Elliptical Society events. Like many club members, she came to know Le Cuvier wines through trusted friends: her parents, who belong to the club. A visit to the winery reinforced her positive impressions about our passion & mission to create memorable wine & food tasting experiences. She graduated recently from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in recreational management & event planning & immediately immersed herself in jobs where she could organize & coordinate such events. Coupled with a keen palate, she has just the right ingredients to help make our visitors' experiences at Le Cuvier all the more remarkable.

 

Mo Colwell, sales & marketing, came aboard in December 2010 to lead sales at Le Cuvier. Mo’s early exposure to Le Cuvier was “word of mouth” enthusiasm expressed by Elliptical Society members whom she met along her wine sharing journeys. Mo has extensive experience in business & sales - & wears the accessories to show it. She cites her energetic personality as key to her success. She moved to Paso Robles from Lake Tahoe 4 years ago & immediately immersed herself in the wine business, at an especially hectic tasting room, no less. Le Cuvier’s intimate, members-based emphasis, in contrast, has presented her with unique & exciting challenges (not to mention new adventures in digital technology). Even in a cavernous, chilly barrel room, Mo manages to warm up every visitor to the Le Cuvier experience. We know you'll find her irresistible.